72 Combat Dunstall Clone

Before I hijack my own thread with the details of this build. I decided to start a new thread.

Here is the start of this build, Its a 1972 Combat 750 that was last registered in 1979 somewhere in texas. The guy that had it, had used it as a parts bike for one of his projects and I got what was left over. The commando is was pretty complete minus the forks, exhaust, pegs/levers, brake and carbs, but it did come with a later DunStall kit. When I got her off the truck and unwrapped the first site was a doozy. She was a dirty greasy pig that hadn't been washed since 1979, and most of the caked on crud around the swing arm was on there since she was new.




While I was waiting on the Commando to be shipped, which seemed to take forever, especially since I had already received the Dunstall kit and front end parts. I got a front end built with sliders and a disc caliper from Ebay and the rest of the parts from Clubman Racing.


I spent 2 days getting her all stripped down and cleaned up I was a little disillusioned with her at first, but after I saw her in full dress and mocked up with the Dunstall kit, I knew she would be sweet once I was finished.

Looking good, I'm sure the rest of the bike will look as good as those forks!

swooshdave said:

Looking good, I'm sure the rest of the bike will look as good as those forks!

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Well I had a lot of time to buff them out waiting on the parts! the trees will have to get a few hours work to match the sliders, and the hard chrome Andover Norton tubes will never look as good as the rest of the front end.

Here is some eye candy of the work that went into the sliders.







After the last shot they went back on the wheel for a few more hours, unfortunately the forks will never look as good as it did for the two weeks they sat under the Christmas Tree

You never know what you might find. I was doing some measurements for some gussets I saw on Old Britts that support the frame loop at the shock mounts, and started looking at the seat. That ADD is a bitch sometimes, well I couldn't leave well enough alone and ripped the vinyl off. I knew there was something under the black but didn't know what. Now Im more confused, its not Dunstall, Kahn or Player.

It looks like the later dunstall fairing, big and angular. the seat pan looks different too. I have the rounded fairing. gheck the glass from the past website for help identifing for sure.

It looks like you have a honda 3 piece fairing

Wow, this is a great thread with great pics Caferider !!! Luv that Dunstall fairing especially. I've got a Windjammer III that I put on my Commando for colder weather, but the wife hates the way it looks. Calls it "an old man"s bike" when I have "it" mounted. I'm sure she'd like the Dunstall though. Keep postin' please ... cause' I've become quite the junkie for this type of thread. Cheers !

Here's where to get all the cool parts

http://caferacingparts.com/

bwolfie said:

It looks like the later dunstall fairing, big and angular. the seat pan looks different too. I have the rounded fairing. gheck the glass from the past website for help identifing for sure.

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bwolfie said:

It looks like you have a honda 3 piece fairing

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I know it is a 73-75 Dunstall Fairing and have seen them on both the Norton and Honda, I do like the half GT much better. I just cant place the seat pan, I know I have seen it before but just don't know where it originates.

Dunstall made a few different iterations of their bodywork and other accessories depending on the year and application, there were also many other cottage industry businesses making bodywork and copying each other, so it is sometimes difficult to identify the origins of any particular parts unless they have some identification attached. In addition to Glass From The past' there is a guy in Australia currently making Dunstall copy stuff in fibreglass. If you like the look and the fit of the seat then it seems to be close enough to the early Dunstall Norton seats not to worry too much, although with the later type fairing a later type more angular seat would have been it's matching accessory. I think your existing seat looks fine.
Regarding rearset plates, the original Dunstall ones had the name 'Dunstall' cast into them in raised letters, They come up from time to time and I bought a pair complete with hardware in the UK recently for my own project, for less than 100 pounds. I am still looking for a screen for my earlier Dunstall fairing, I note 'Glass from the past' have a photo of this in their miscellaneous section, but without any details on price etc. There is also a company in Scandinavia selling appropriate screens, but it would cost me an arm and a leg to buy and get it to HK from there. I might see about making a tool in China and producing my own, it's only perspex and quite easy to make on a vacuum forming machine.

Check this out!

http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/found ... mando.aspx

swooshdave said:

Check this out!

http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/found ... mando.aspx

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That's Tom Bartoli's bike...lives here in Florida near the Orlando area. Curious that he's sellilng.

Ebay listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Norton-D ... 3f05efd5f1

Another shot from the cover of a 1973 Dunstall catalog showing the later style tank and fairing. Makes a pretty nice looking bike.



Ken

It's growing on me the more I see the sweeter it is, and the Norton and fairing look pretty good too

I've got one of those Dunstall 3/4 fairings as well, in Maroon. I'm thinking of trimming off the right side lower/rear flap to match the broken left side (missing the broken off piece anyway), painting it Black, and putting it on my Mark III Interstate for winter/highway use.

Came within an eyelash of buying a red one like that off the floor back in the day. Sometimes I wonder.......Oh, and I think I use to go out with her.

Ok, a rare Dunstall thread...better weigh in while I've got the chance. I've had the Dunstall tank, seat and fairing setup on my bike ever since I got the bike in 1978. I know a lot of folks don't care for the look, but to me no other vintage style shouts "FAST" while just sitting there better than this! Yeah...sometimes it's a labor of love...it's a pain in the a$$ to get the tank off when you need to get at something...and most of my Norton buddies ask me when I'm "going to grow up"(and ride sitting up!) it's true my 56-year old wrists complain after a 200-mile day and Advil is a given after an extended time in the saddle...still, I'll probably never change!

If you REALLY want to complain about something, put a Dunstall centerstand on it. Then we'll have something to talk about, besides how nice that thing looks. Sheeeez....

Dammmmmm that's one hell of a nice looking bike. I hope mine looks half as good when i'm done.

wow, nicely polished!!! Wish I could keep mine looking like that